Credit Unions

Rosie Cooper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support the work of credit unions. [165005]

Mr. Plaskitt:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Ms Clark).

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mr. Prisk:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many statutory instruments were laid before Parliament by his Department between 2 November 2005 and 1 July 2007. [164044]

Mrs. McGuire:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29 October 2007, Official Report, column 749W, to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alan Duncan).

Incapacity Benefit: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellences report on those with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis when claiming incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement. [165787]

Mrs. McGuire:
The report of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is about the way chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is treated within the NHS.

Entitlement to incapacity benefit does not depend on a persons diagnosis or on the treatment they are receiving. It depends on the effect their condition has on their ability to work. This is a fairer way than using criteria based on specific conditions or diagnoses, because the same condition can have very different disabling effects in different people.

The Department recognises chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis as a real and potentially very disabling condition. Each person claiming benefit is assessed on the basis of the way the condition affects them as an individual. The personal capability assessment for deciding entitlement to incapacity benefit looks at a 19 Nov 2007 : Column 545W
range of activities relevant to work, and assesses whether or not a person can carry them out reliably and safely, over a period of time.

As part of our welfare reform proposals we have reviewed and revised the personal capability assessment to ensure it is a robust and accurate assessment of limited capability for work. The revised assessment will be used to assess people claiming the new employment and support allowance, which will replace incapacity benefit for new customers.

Local Housing Allowance

Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been allocated for the provision of information and advice for recipients of housing benefit under local housing allowance on its introduction in 2008. [163965]

Mr. Plaskitt:
The Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities have together been provided with £62 million (£59 million of this to local authorities) to support the implementation of the local housing allowance. Part of this funding will deliver a comprehensive communications strategy which will provide information and advice to customers who may be eligible for the local housing allowance.

Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received housing benefit under local housing allowance in the nine Pathfinder areas. [163966]

Mr. Plaskitt:
As at August 2007, the total number of households receiving local housing allowance across the nine Pathfinder areas was around 54,000.

Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 11 October 2007, Official Report, column 741W, on local housing allowance, how much of the funding provided to support the implementation of the local housing allowance is allocated for the provision of advice. [163967]

Mr. Plaskitt:
Local authorities have been provided with £59 million to support the implementation of the local housing allowance, and the freedom to allocate that funding according to local needs. The Department for Work and Pensions has not prescribed to local authorities how this funding is to be allocated.

Pension Credit

Mr. David Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many men under the age of 65 years who are claiming pension credit have voluntarily switched from claiming jobseekers allowance after attaining the age of 60 years. [162628]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The information requested is not available in the form requested.

19 Nov 2007 : Column 546W

Culture, Media and Sport

Arts Council of England: Grants

Jeff Ennis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been granted by the Arts Council for England to (a) opera, (b) ballet and (c) brass bands in the last five years. [164547]

Margaret Hodge:
The Arts Council has provided opera with the following grant in aid:

£

2002-03

27,452,000

2003-04

28,990,000

2004-05

31,414,000

2005-06

32,800,000

2006-07

35,258,000

The Royal Opera House has received grant in aid for both ballet and opera:

£

2002-03

21,115

2003-04

21,748

2004-05

23,111

2005-06

24,866

2006-07

25,550

The Arts Council has provided ballet with the following grant in aid:

£

2002-03

12,794,000

2003-04

13,417,000

2004-05

13,883,000

2005-06

14,486,000

2006-07

15,722,000

The Arts Council has provided brass bands with the following grant in aid:

£

2002-03

27,000

2003-04

28,000

2004-05

31,000

2005-06

32,000

2006-07

22,000

Arts: Apprentices

Mr. Hunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many individuals were given creative apprenticeships in each of the last three years. [164474]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 15 November 2007]: Creative and Cultural Skills (CCS) is the Sector Skills Council for advertising, craft, cultural heritage, design, music and the literary, visual and performing arts. It has developed the first ever industry-backed, Government approved apprenticeships for the sector.

19 Nov 2007 : Column 547W

53 placements have already been made as a pilot under this scheme since January 2007 and this is likely to rise to 60 from January next year. This scheme for Creative Apprenticeships will be rolled out nationally from September 2008.

British Library: Finance

Lady Hermon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was allocated by his Department to the British Library in each of the last six years; and what plans he has for future funding of the Library. [165139]

Margaret Hodge:
The following funding has been allocated to the British Library in the period 2002-08:

£000

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

Resource

83,521

82,021

83,021

88,496

90,517

92,339

Capital

1,572

4,072

7,072

12,072

12,072

12,072

Total

85,093

86,093

90,093

100,568

102,589

104,411

As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) the British Library has received an inflation-proof resource settlement for 2008-11 and a sustained level of capital funding.

£000

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Resource

94,832

97,393

100,022

Capital

12,072

12,072

12,072

Total

106,904

109,465

112,094

Broadcasting: Licensing

Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) name, (b) licence area and (c) character of service is of each of the cable and satellite television channel stations licensed for broadcast in the UK. [164339]

James Purnell:
The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executives letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Citizens Juries

Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many citizens' juries were arranged for his Department for each year between 1997 and June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each. [163598]

Margaret Hodge:
My Department has not arranged any citizens' juries since June 1997. No records were kept prior to this date.

19 Nov 2007 : Column 548W

Community Club Development Fund: Finance

Mr. Hunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department gave to the Community Club Development Fund in each of the last five years. [165804]

Mr. Sutcliffe:
Community Club Development Programme funding of £100 million has been available through Sport England during the five years to March 2008, broken down as follows:

£ million

2003-04

20

2004-05

20

2005-06

20

2006-07

20

2007-08

20

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Mike Penning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served exclusively or at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [164292]

Mr. Sutcliffe:
English wine is available upon request by the organisers of parties or receptions at DCMS.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people aged (a) 30 to 39, (b) 40 to 49, (c) 50 to 59 and (d) 60 to 69 years have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007. [165109]

Mr. Sutcliffe:
In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in the year to date (i) 236 people applied for jobs, (ii) 35 of those received interviews, (iii) (A) one gained a temporary appointment and (B) five were appointed permanently. The age related information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.